Improvement in steam-traps



UNITED STATES- PATENT Orrrcnr `JOSEPH BISHOP, OF MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT,ASSIGN OR TO HIMSELF AND CHARLES PARKER, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN STEAM-TRAPS.

Spccitcation'forniiug part oi'Lettfrs Patent No. 145,381, dated Dcen1ber9, 1873; application filed January 3, 1872.

To all whom it may concern:

K Be it knownthat I, JOSEPH Brsnor, of Meriden, in the county of NewHaven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement inSteam-Trap and I do hereby declare the following, when taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing and the letters of referencemarked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same,and which said drawing constitutes part of this specification, andrepresents a vertical central section.

This invention relates to an improvement in the device commonly termed asteam-trapthat is to say, a device to be attached to steampipes to catchand remove the water arising from condensation in the pipes; and theinvention consists in the arrangement of a tube in direct connectionwith a steam-pipe, or whatever it is desired to take the condensationfrom, within a second tube, which forms a chamber around the rst, andwithin the said chamber a valve formed in connection with the lower endof the tube, which permits the water which flows into the said innertube to pass therefrom into .the chamber, as more fully hereinafterdescribed.

A is a tube in connection with the steampipe, orwhatever apparatus ordevice it is desirable to remove the condensation from. In connectionwith this tube A is a second tube, B, connected by a head or coupling,C, and around this tube B a second tube, D, of larger diameter isarranged, so as to form a chamber, E, between the two tubes B and D. Tothe lower end of the said tube B, a valve, F, is secured, having aperforation therethrough, and is of conical form, the tube beingsuspended from the upper end and the lower end free. Below the valve F aseat, I, is arranged, corresponding in form to the valve, and madeadjustable by a set-screw, L, or its equivalent, so as to be set at agreater or less distance from the end of the said valve. This valve andits seat are inclosed in the chamber by a suitable head or coupling, I.To adjust the valve to perform the'functions desired, steam is admittedinto the tube B and allowed to pass therethrough until it is heatedto-its fullest extent. The steam will pass freely out to the atmospherethrough an opening, a., in

the chamber. The inner tube B is alone exposed to the heat, andconsequently lengthens by expansion, the outer tuberemaining stationary;therefore, so soon as the inner tube has attained its greatest lengthbythe heat applied thereto, I set the valve-seat I close up to thevalve, to close the lower end of lthe tube. As no more steam can escape,the water caused by condensation will iow into the tube B, taking theplace of the steam, and, cooling therein, will cause the tube B tocontract and open the valve sufficiently to permit the water to pass out5 so soon as the water has escaped, steam will again lill the tube,causingits expansion, to act as before.

By preference, I make the tube B from a metal susceptible of moreexpansion than thel outer tube, to guard against any heat which mightcause an equal expansion of the outer tube.

I have represented the valve as formed by the ittiu g ot' an independentpiece onto the end of the tube 5 but it will be evident that the end ofthe tube itself might be brought to bear directly upon the end of theseat, butI prefer the valve; and, to insure the perfect acting of' thevalve, I make the vseat self-adjusting, to adapt itself to anyirregularities in the surface or position ofthe valve.

ln some cases, after the valve has been set, I iind it advantageous towithdraw the seat slightly from the valve, in order to leave a slightconstant opening; but in such cases, when there is no condensation, avery slight amount of steam would escape.

I do not broadly claim a conical seat for the expansion tube or rod insteam-traps, as such, I am aware, is not new.

I claim as my invention- The herein-described steam-trap, consisting ofthe inner expanding tube B, of conical form at its lower end, and theouter non-expansive tube D, combined with the Valve-seat I,corresponding to the lower end Aof the tube, and made adjustablerelatively to the valve or open en d of the tube, substantially asdescribed.

JOSEPH BISHOP. Vitnesses:

J. XV. MrLns, F. GEO. MARKHAM.

